Please Help 2006 STUCK in accessory mode
I was detailing my Vette. It is a 2006 base model automatic with just over 22k miles. I have never had a problem with it except a random light for service traction system that has come up three different times and always goes off. The car does have the random stuck in park issue but always releases itself if I am patient and push on the shifter.
Here is what happened. I had the doors open, the hatch open, the hood open, the top off, and the windows down.
I Vacuumed the whole car, wiped the engine compartment, Wiped down the dash and controls including the switches, (using a barely damp with water cloth) cleaned the leather and the windows.
I removed the floor mats and reinstalled after vacuuming the whole car under and behind the seats.
When I was done I went to start the car. The starter engaged but did not spin or start. I pushed the button again and it clicked as if the battery was very low. I then tried three or four more times and only got a click. After the third or fourth time it stopped clicking and went into accessory mode.
The battery drained quickly and I ended up having to unlock the car manually and pop the door latch. At some point during this all the alarm went off and I silenced it with the FOB.
The car is still locked into accessory mode and wont time out, or stop draining the battery no matter what I do with disconnecting the battery or pushing the switch.
The Display says Accessory mode. I cannot access any other functions on the display. I tried to get the DTC's but none of the buttons ( reset, gas button work).
It's locked in accessory mode if the battery is connected.
The radio works, the windows work, the seats will move, the hatch pops, and doors lock and unlock with the FOB. The brake lights work, the horn, wipers, lights etc. all work. The panic button does not work nor does the HVAC system.
I have disconnected the battery and charged it over night. This had no effect when I hooked it back up still in accessory mode.
I had the battery tested it showed good at 12.6 volts.
I changed the batteries in both FOB's.
I went ahead and bought a new battery just in case there was a week cell in mine.
I have disconnected and reconnected the battery several times.
I checked every fuse in the car (both fuse boxes).
I unplugged both blue wire bundles under the passenger side kick panel and reinstalled.
I've put both FOBs in the glove box slot. I took out the console and checked both of the micro switches on the automatic shifter both make a connection and have continuity.
I've removed the ignition switch and reinstalled it.
I'm out of Ideas that iv'e gotten off of this forum and others.
Sorry to write such a book but I'm very frustrated and worried about getting this resolved. PLEASE HELP
Popular Reply
I finally got the car to come out of being locked in accessory mode. I still don't know what happened that caused this but here is what I did that got it going again.
I decided to start eliminating variables so I began pulling fuses and then disconnecting the battery one fuse at a time to try to eliminate whatever system was locking things up.
Previously I had disconnected and reconnected the battery probably 50 times with no result, it would still be locked in accessory mode when I hooked it back up.
Finally in my process of elimination I got to fuse #11 in the engine bay fuse block. It is "Engine Control Module/Transmission Control Module/Easy Key Module.
I pulled the fuse while the battery was hooked up and stuck in the accessory mode. I let it sit for about 1 hour and then hooked up the battery cable BEFORE reinstalling the fuse. Once the battery was reconnected and there was system power I reinstalled the fuse. The system was back to normal unlocked and magically all of my memory settings were still there.
This is one for the books. It has been a three day ordeal trying to get the car to come back to life.
I hope this helps someone else sometime.
Edit - NVM, missed that you have a new battery.
Last edited by BadAV; Dec 2, 2020 at 09:07 AM.
I finally got the car to come out of being locked in accessory mode. I still don't know what happened that caused this but here is what I did that got it going again.
I decided to start eliminating variables so I began pulling fuses and then disconnecting the battery one fuse at a time to try to eliminate whatever system was locking things up.
Previously I had disconnected and reconnected the battery probably 50 times with no result, it would still be locked in accessory mode when I hooked it back up.
Finally in my process of elimination I got to fuse #11 in the engine bay fuse block. It is "Engine Control Module/Transmission Control Module/Easy Key Module.
I pulled the fuse while the battery was hooked up and stuck in the accessory mode. I let it sit for about 1 hour and then hooked up the battery cable BEFORE reinstalling the fuse. Once the battery was reconnected and there was system power I reinstalled the fuse. The system was back to normal unlocked and magically all of my memory settings were still there.
This is one for the books. It has been a three day ordeal trying to get the car to come back to life.
I hope this helps someone else sometime.
I finally got the car to come out of being locked in accessory mode. I still don't know what happened that caused this but here is what I did that got it going again.
I decided to start eliminating variables so I began pulling fuses and then disconnecting the battery one fuse at a time to try to eliminate whatever system was locking things up.
Previously I had disconnected and reconnected the battery probably 50 times with no result, it would still be locked in accessory mode when I hooked it back up.
Finally in my process of elimination I got to fuse #11 in the engine bay fuse block. It is "Engine Control Module/Transmission Control Module/Easy Key Module.
I pulled the fuse while the battery was hooked up and stuck in the accessory mode. I let it sit for about 1 hour and then hooked up the battery cable BEFORE reinstalling the fuse. Once the battery was reconnected and there was system power I reinstalled the fuse. The system was back to normal unlocked and magically all of my memory settings were still there.
This is one for the books. It has been a three day ordeal trying to get the car to come back to life.
I hope this helps someone else sometime.
To solve this with a good battery that is fully charged, pull both battery cables off the battery, touch the two cables together a few times away from the battery to drain all the voltage out of every module in the car, then reconnect the cables to the fully charged good battery; which does a hard reset on all the modules in the car.
Hence seen this problem with a battery that is about dead that will drop the voltage way to much when the starter draws amperage trying to start the car, as well as on a tender for a while as well that the tender allowed the voltage to drop too far down before it went back to charging the battery back up again.
I finally got the car to come out of being locked in accessory mode. I still don't know what happened that caused this but here is what I did that got it going again.
I decided to start eliminating variables so I began pulling fuses and then disconnecting the battery one fuse at a time to try to eliminate whatever system was locking things up.
Previously I had disconnected and reconnected the battery probably 50 times with no result, it would still be locked in accessory mode when I hooked it back up.
Finally in my process of elimination I got to fuse #11 in the engine bay fuse block. It is "Engine Control Module/Transmission Control Module/Easy Key Module.
I pulled the fuse while the battery was hooked up and stuck in the accessory mode. I let it sit for about 1 hour and then hooked up the battery cable BEFORE reinstalling the fuse. Once the battery was reconnected and there was system power I reinstalled the fuse. The system was back to normal unlocked and magically all of my memory settings were still there.
This is one for the books. It has been a three day ordeal trying to get the car to come back to life.
I hope this helps someone else sometime.













